Top Things to do in Lake Trasimeno
Top 10 Things to do in Lake Trasimeno, Umbria
Discover the best top things to do in Lake Trasimeno, Italy including Cantina Berioli, Fishing Museum (Museo della Pesca), Rocca del Leone, Palazzo della Corgna - Palazzo Ducale, Museo di Annibale, Centro di Documentazione, Isola Polvese, Rocca di Passignano, Castello di Montegualandro, Isola Maggiore, Campo del Sole.
Restaurants in Lake Trasimeno
1. Cantina Berioli
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 117 reviews
The Berioli's farm has been in Montesperello of Magione (Trasimeno Lake - Umbria Italy) since the beginning of 1900 and the farm has produced grapes, olives and wheat ever since. In recent years, thanks to the ability, willingness and expertise of its owner Roberto Berioli, the wines have achieved high levels of quality.- - -L’azienda agricola Berioli esiste a Montesperello di Magione già dall’inizio del 1900. Da allora la coltivazione della vite, dell’olivo e del grano hanno caratterizzato le produzioni agricole. Negli ultimi anni, grazie alla preparazione, la capacità, la volontà e l’esperienza del suo titolare Roberto Berioli, i vini prodotti hanno raggiunto un elevato livello di qualità.
Reviewed By DJLang73
From first contact to departure, Irene, the sommelier did a fantastic job both conveying her passion for Umbrian wine and in particular the wines from the Berioli organic farm and her pride in her region. She was informative, attentive, an excellent communicator and very professional. I also enjoyed meeting the owner Roberto who spoke passionately about his farm's path on organic viticulture and why he loves his job. They make a great team and I would recommend this tasting to wine lovers of all nationalities. Their range of wines were all excellent, I particularly enjoyed the Vercanto 2018 100% oak aged grechetto, and the 2018 Topporosso red blend. I came home with a bottle of everything and will return again. Their extra virgin 100% dolce agogia extra virgin olive oil was delicious and the antipasti selection the perfect accompaniment to the tasting.
2. Fishing Museum (Museo della Pesca)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 48 reviews
Find out about the history and the art of fishing at this unique specialty museum.
3. Rocca del Leone
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 514 reviews
Reviewed By patrickgX7609CY
A fabulous place to visit in a beautiful town. The closed corridor access to the castle is amazing to walk through and then you go up spiral stairs and can walk right around the ramparts with brilliant views all across the lake - all good fun and a bit of an adventure for any able bodied person of any age.
4. Palazzo della Corgna - Palazzo Ducale
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 408 reviews
Aka Palazzo Ducale. Next to (and sharing a ticket with) the Rocca del Leone fortress that you do have listed, but they need to be referenced separately; they are two very different attractions.
Reviewed By KatrinaMolini - Corciano, Italy
We visited Palazzo della Corgna in the afternoon and had the most fabulous time there! We saw the exhibition of Mikhail Koulakov, a Russian modern painter. It was a small exhibit but we found very interesting the building itself, which had stunning frescoes. It was a curious combination of “old” and “new”. Then we took the passage to Rocca del Leone (included in the ticket) and enjoyed a breathtaking view on the lake! The colors were fantastic!!! I highly recommend to come closer to sunset time for this purpose. P.S. The lady at the desk was nice and spoke English (we asked her about the bathroom, which requires the key and is located downstairs; you can also find a snack and soda machine there).
5. Museo di Annibale, Centro di Documentazione
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 32 reviews
after more than 2000 years the events of the Battle of Trasimeno revive in the rooms of the museum, where it will be possible to discover the historical events and the territory to which they are linked.Thanks to educational exhibits composed of both text and infographics as well as interactive multimedia, visitors are invited to take part in the story, an experience that culminates with the 4D movie theater, where an 8 minutes immersive video renders the effect of the battle.
Reviewed By wfwalford
Very interesting short presentation of the battle of Lake Trasimeno and the different theories as to how events unfolded, with very informative and well-presented diagrams on animated screens (set also in the context of overall Roman military history). Well-researched. Also great for children who can handle the reproduction weapons, shields etc. on display. Dedicated and enthusiastic staff. Recommendation: call first in the morning to make sure what the hours are, as hours found elsewhere on the Internet (non-official site) did not correspond with the real hours. Highly recommended!
6. Isola Polvese
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 250 reviews
Reviewed By F12MPpeters - Rome, Italy
Isola Polvese, Lago Trasimeno, Umbria Lago Trasimeno is half-way down/up the Italian peninsular – about mid-way between Rome and Firenza – and generally considered the fourth largest lake in the country at 124 km2 surface area and perimeter 50 km. There are bike and walking trails that follow the lake shore for those interested but, for us, there simply wasn’t the time available. We had three little kids in tow, ambient temperature mid-summer this year have been in the high 30s degC and there’s more than sufficient geography, history and social development available harping back to the Etruscans to keep us interested for the next 100 years There’s more - Lago Trasimeno is in Umbria with all those gorgeous tourist/culinary pleasures/images. Isola Polvese is the largest of the three islands in Lago Trasimeno - the others are Isola Maggiore and Isola Minore - at around 70 ha. The history of the island encompasses the Etruscans, the Romans and the Umbrian people – Ombri/Ombrii – one of the ancient Italic peoples who date back >3,000 years. It was the Romans who eventually dominated, settling and incorporating the region into their greater empire (as they were to do across much of the Europe of the day). The lake was an important source of fish before the modern age when people depended largely upon what they could grow/harvest/capture locally. Fishing villages cropped up around the lake and on the islands – harvesting carp, pike and tench. The 600-year old castle/keep on Polvere and others elsewhere around the lake provided security. Notwithstanding this, the island was sacked by the Florentine army in the 17th century and declined thereafter until relatively recent times. Check out the museum in San Feliciano and there’s another on Maggiore – describing the importance of fish/technologies/employment/security of the lake. To get to Isola Polvese there’s the ferry from San Feliciano - notwithstanding this easy option we met up with a float board brigade when swimming off the beach at the eastern end of the island – the one opposite San Feliciano just 2.5 km away; dozen people had paddled across led by a guide. From a distance it looked as if they were simply standing on the surface of the water and swinging their paddles. Novel. We had a week’s holiday en famille and had taken a place above San Feliciano looking west over the lake – catching some gorgeous sunsets/evening skies. As a group we were six adults and three little kids, and time tends to race when you’re having fun. We’d scheduled half-day on Polvese and another half-day on Maggiore - first time on Polvese, but Maggiore we’d visited a few years back. Five of us - the other couple with their little girl - left earlier for the 20 minutes crossing. There were couple dozen fellow-travellers on the boat so lots of spare seats. The fare was €6 return each per adult with the little girl travelling free. It was a pleasantly warm morning with a galaxy of views back towards San Feliciano and the hills behind the village and the distant lakeshore to the south. Comfortable – scenic lakeside Umbria at its best. Once across, coffee/brioche beckoned and we headed for the ‘Café L’Isola’ on the edge of the little compound of buildings, offices, country house/restaurant (at the end of the jetty turn right – 50 m). Prominent wall boards around the jetty describe what the island had to offer, places to visit, native fauna and more. The island is part of the Trasimeno Regional Park and provides a centre for enviro-scientific development including the impact of tourism on the island. We had the beach 400 m away in mind for much of our time on the island – rather than walk the trails – but there’s the ruin of a pentagonal-shaped castello medievale that’s just on the other side of the compound that was an easy first option (given that we were still on-the-move); again, about 400 m through the buildings where there’s also a public lavatory. The small castello was pristine – renovated, clean and presentable. It was on sloping land. Walk inside and there’s just the surrounding walls to see with a 12-15 m tower in the wall at the highest point up-slope. There’s also a walkway around the walls 5-6 m high, but it wasn’t open to us. We had the place to ourselves. Returning through the compound, again, there’s those well-preserved/presented period buildings that impress. We collected the other couple and their two children at the ferry terminal on the way back to the beach – they’d taken the next ferry (45 minutes later) … what did we do before cell phones? Then to that beach – us and 90% of the other people on the island that day; it was easy to sit, sunbath, read, swim, play with the children and more. There was plenty of room on the beach and a deal of shade behind it. Some people were cooking BBQs. Lago Trasimeno provides all those popular Umbrian images, but it is not a swimmer’s lake – shallow with warm water sure, but opaque/clouded with mud and lake weed underfoot – it’s an agricultural lake and largely dependent upon local run-off. Lack of clarity means keeping an eye on small children because you can’t see beneath the surface. Beaches too are few and far between and they are not particularly sandy. Looking back … pleasant memories of an interesting day away where you’re not dependent upon the car for transport … the ease of remaining in one place, peaceful, the views across the lake and, of course, travelling by boat - open top deck, bright/high skies, distant green/grey hills. Embarking from San Feliciano and returning there later in the day – there’s this well-placed bar in the village along the lake shore from the jetty: ‘Il Chiosco’ - start the day with coffee/brioche and, late afternoon, it’s time for gelati. Peter Steele 18 February 2020
7. Rocca di Passignano
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 314 reviews
8. Castello di Montegualandro
9. Isola Maggiore
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 637 reviews
Reviewed By F12MPpeters - Rome, Italy
Isola Maggiore, Lago Trasimeno, Umbria Lago Trasimeno is half-way along the Italian peninsular – about mid-way between Rome and Firenza – and generally considered the fourth largest lake in the country at 124 km2 surface area and perimeter 50 km. There are bike and walking trails that follow the lake shore for those interested but, for us, there simply wasn’t the time available. In addition, we had small kids in tow and ambient temperatures mid-summer mid-year had been in the high 30s degC, and there was more than sufficient interest in the geography, history and social development of the local people to keep us busy for the week. There’s more too - Lago Trasimeno is in Umbria with all those gorgeous tourist/culinary pleasures/images typical of the lake and surrounding towns and countryside. Italy at its best. Lago Trasimeno has three islands: Isola Polvese – the largest at 70 ha – Isola Maggiore (the only one with a permanent population) 24 ha and Isola Minore – privately owned – not open to Mario Rossi (aka ‘Joe Public’). The history of the lake and the islands encompasses the Etruscans, the Romans and the Umbrian people – Ombri/Ombrii – one of the ancient Italic peoples who date back >3,000 years. It was the Romans who eventually dominated, settling and incorporating the region into their greater empire (as they were to do across much of the Europe of the day). Our second visit to Isola Polvese – this time we took the ferry from Passignano. We nearly missed it too, leaving barely time to find somewhere to park close to the terminus; last on board for the mid-day boat. It took little more than 20 minutes to cross to the island. Ten years ago (we figured), we’d taken the longer crossing from Castiglione del Lago – we were staying in the neighbourhood for a long weekend. Short or longer ferry journeys … the island seemed much the same as before; easy, friendly, small, comfortable with mostly shaded walking around the perimeter of the island and across the centre – lots to see - pleasant experience. Cross the centre of the island and the trail climbs, but this is still easy walking and distances are short. Your circuit should take in the statue of St Francis that commemorates his celebration of Lent on the island 800 years ago. Then passed Villa Guglielmi (‘Isabelle Castle’) – a gorgeous rambling period structure dating from the late 1880s and built upon/around a convent and the Church of S. Francesco. The place is fenced and you can’t get in - with wall boards describing the renovation work undertaken. Unfortunately, this work was abandoned when the money ran out in 2010. Now the place is for sale (and with it you get 4.25 ha land – 20% of the island). On the hill in the centre of the island between the Villa and the village/jetty is where the Church of San Michele Arcangelo is located. You pay to enter – for the talk/guided tour that takes in the frescos and the history of the island – typically in Italian, but also in English (and offered by the guide that afternoon when she picked up our language). Interesting interior with some fine views outside across the lake. Leave time in which to wander the long single street (Via Guglielmi) in the village - line of houses on both sides across 8 m paving, well-maintained almost elegant in appearance and belying their 14-15th century origin. Renovated in the 1950s. What you do find, in contrast to the mainland, is a pedestrianized street with no motorized vehicles – what a difference that this makes to the feel of the community; quiet and easy to wander, stand and explore. This is where you find the museum, Captain’s house, couple of restaurants/bars and a public toilet. The museum provides a glimpse of the recent and distance past – photos, diagrams and pictures – agriculture, fisheries and, nowadays, tourism. Tickets €2/each – good value. Fishing dominated through to the early 20th century harvesting carp, pike and tench – check out the importance of fish/technologies/employment/security of the lake and, in direct context, the constant effort required to ensure sufficient water - to maintain levels in the lake. The ancient port together with the original lake level/monitoring structures are adjacent to the modern jetty. Just on 100 years ago modern lace-making was introduced from Ireland as a small-scale enterprise to help provide employment to augment declining traditional land/lake industries (and to slow the drift of young people from the island); the industry remains with a handful of lace-makers selling mainly to the tourists passing through. If you’re fortunate, you may find one or more lace-makers seated outside in the shade of a house, heads down and quietly knitting. The museum describes the trade and has a fine selection of garments on display. And, not least, the malarial mosquito that was a perennial issue for those living close to the lake through to the mid-20th century when it was effectively eradicated/controlled with improved understanding of the disease/medicines, drainage and judicious use of chemicals. Mid-August 2019 and there was no noticeable issue with mosquitoes during our time there. Looking back … some pleasant memories of an island at the centre of local history – we enjoyed the pleasure of exploring – and this, without even taking in the Second Punic War and the Battle of Lago Trasimeno that was fought just to the north of the current lake shore in which the Carthaginians under Hannibal routed the Roman Army in 217 BCE. We just didn’t have the time in which to explore further. Memories of open boats, high/clear skies and the distant shorelines remain. It was August and Isola Maggiore and Lago Trasimeno provided a quiet/peaceful place in which to appreciate Umbria at its best. Peter Steele 18 March 2020
